Insulated Glass Units (IGU) are commonly manufactured having two or three panes of glass set apart at all side edges using various types of IGU spacers that are factory sealed together to form a single insulated double or triple glass unit. One effective IGU spacer is known as a warm edge structural foam spacer. Manufacturers such as Edgetech and Glasslam USA (also known as Nebula Glass) commercially offer structural silicone foam IGU spacers. Triple glass units are also manufactured although industry wide is considered to be very heavy and require much heavier costlier framing. Glass in an IGU is often used to provide light while allowing a view through area from one side of the IGU to the other side. IGU are often manufactured having glass in a thickness range from as much as 10 mm and as little as 3 mm or even slightly more or less in very special applications. Although many IGU glazing surfaces are coated with thin layers of metal or metal oxide high performance coatings that emit little radiation in the long-wave spectrum (infrared) for diminishing heat loss from a building's interior and reducing heat gain in hot weather, the glazing of glass still is not highly effective against heat transferred by means of conduction. Tempered and laminated glass is also used at times for manufacturing IGU. A majority of these insulated glass units are manufactured with the same thickness of glass used on all panes although in special applications such as security or more acoustic applications certain specialty manufactures do include at times a wider range of thicknesses incorporated within the same IGU. Many various combinations and thicknesses are manufactured at times, although manufacturers limit the term of their warranty or provide no warranty at all based on their assessment of risk. Depending on overall dimensions to include width and height, glass pane thickness as well as the type of glazing for each pane as well as the overall unit thickness is specified by manufacturers based on their assessment of risk and past performance history. During IGU assembly, IGU spacers of specific thicknesses are cut to exact size and assembled into the required height, thickness, and width dimensions. An IGU adhesive serving as a sealant is applied to the face of the spacer on each of its sides and the panes of glazing are pressed against the spacer for sealing the unit. When an IGU cavity is filled with gas, two holes are drilled through the spacer once the unit is sealed. The trapped air is drawn out of the IGU cavity and then replaced with an IGU insulating gas. Next, the holes are sealed containing the gas inside the IGU cavity. The result is trapped insulating gas between panes of very poorly insulating glass, especially in regard to conduction through the solid glass. It is the objective of the present invention to reduce heat transfer passing through the glass pane surfaces and IGU as a whole. The invention is a super-insulating gas filled IGU that incorporates a unique film system that includes X-aerogels formed as films along with high performance transparent films and transparent UV stable bonding adhesives. NASA Glenn Research center researchers and their associates have developed a new class of strong lightweight materials known as X-aerogels. The chemistry in these new materials shall be formulated with custom tailored polymers that produce optically transparent or translucent properties that still possess highly beneficial insulating properties that traditional Aerogel is so well known for. According to NASA publication, the production of X-aerogels as films and sheets have already been manufactured although on a very small scale and, currently, Parker Hannifin together with NASA Glenn Research center, OAI, University of Akron, Ohio, and other associates are developing a process for manufacturing X-aerogels conformed to sheets and films for a variety of industrial products. Furthermore, plans for the purpose of ramping up continuous manufacturing processes have already been initiated as well. Glass surfaces on the glass panes, making up a traditional IGU, are traditionally viewed through. Unlike a traditional IGU, the invention is fully or partially covered with the Nanotechnology X-aerogel super-insulating film or sheet system that, although is optically transparent or translucent has not yet been developed or manufactured to be as clear as the clearest glass panes such as are commonly used for IGU. The gap between the glass panes making up the IGU cavity traps air or argon gas (or other suitable gas). Glass is well known in the IGU industry as an extremely poor insulator compared to well insulated walls and well insulated ceilings especially in regard to conduction and the panes of glass directly in contact with trapped air or gas inside a traditional IGU cavity enabling unwanted heat transfer. Furthermore, air on the outside of a traditional IGU cavity is also in direct contact with the exterior glazing panes of glass and again unwanted heat is again transferred even further, especially in regard to conduction. IGU manufacturers for many decades have acknowledged the poor insulating properties of traditional glass glazing, and this is fully understood by those well practiced in the art of IGU manufacturing. Traditional IGU have a minimal ability to insulate due to the nature of glass and due to its very poor ability to slow down heat transfer, especially through conduction. Although X-aerogels can be formulated with custom tailored polymers to be either optically transparent or translucent, not all X-aerogels allow light through them while still maintaining superior insulating and sound proofing properties. In addition to their superior ability to insulate heat, these optically transparent and translucent insulating X-aerogels are also a superior vibration dampening and sound proofing materials. With the application to window glazing, buildings are provided with a sound barrier between the interior and exterior for reduction of noise pollution such as city traffic. The superior mechanical strength of X-aerogels also provide for better security when applied to window glazing. The strength of an X-aerogel makes it far more difficult to break window glazing with the film system applied.
According to LLumar (http://www.llumar.com/en/CommercialSolarControl.aspx), the U.S. Department of Energy estimate that one-third of a building's cooling load is from solar gain through windows and that nearly 75% of all existing windows are not energy efficient. According to the ObservatoryNANO briefing #3 of August 2010 (http://www.observatorynano.eu/project/filesystem/files/ObservatoryNANO%20Briefing%20No.3%20Nano-Enabled%20Insulation%20Materials.pdf), the largest energy consumer (40%) and the main contributor to greenhouse gas (CO2) emissions is the construction sector. Around 80% of construction-related energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is linked to the energy use within the building over its lifetime, whereas only 20% is linked to energy used to produce and transport the materials used in the building. Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) accounts for 36% of a building's energy consumption. Resultantly, HVAC represents a significant portion of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. However, buildings are generally long-lasting, with average lifetimes of greater than 50 years. With long lasting buildings, the attempt to make a drastic improvement for energy efficiency performance in buildings are through the application of superior insulation and thermal management technologies into new buildings. To have a larger impact in a shorter time period, existing buildings must be fitted and installed with the superior insulation and thermal management technologies.
At the time of the present invention, according to NASA and their associate's publications and the NASA website X-aerogels were recognized for very specific applications including: cryogenic propellant tank insulation, insulation for hoses, catalytic applications, optically transparent or translucent X-aerogels in the form of pellets for filling skylights (although were not intended to be viewed through), insulating shipping containers, battery membrane applications, dielectrics electronic applications, impact absorbing applications, fuel cell applications, unspecified laminates to especially include those that are not optically translucent or translucent, membranes for filtration applications, optical sensor applications, and specifically identified aerospace applications. NASA and associates have only specifically published the usefulness of completely filling an entire cavity of an IGU with X-aerogels in the form of totally separated pellets. Although the separate pellets are superior in insulation, air between each pellet is an undesirable source of heat transfer. Heat energy is transferred by the circulation of the air between pellets that directly come into contact with poorly insulating glass. In reference to the document LEW-17685-1 published on Feb. 28, 2011 by the Glenn Research Technology Center, one such application is in collaboration with Iten Industries of Ashtabula, Ohio. This was published as only for a total IGU cavity fill application that was specifically related to a GATE partnership agreement with Iten Industries. At the time of the present invention, published NASA and associates applications did not specify optically transparent and translucent X-aerogels formed as films or sheets and high performance films as systems utilized in association with a gas filled IGI with versatile uses with clear areas having no X-aerogels as a option as described in the present invention. The present invention utilizes only suitable X-aerogels that are optically transparent and translucent, mechanically strong as films and sheets for damping vibration, adding privacy, to reduce breakability, decorative appeal, for super-insulating and as sound proofing for insulated glass units (IGUs). The present invention utilizes the suitable X-aerogels in a new, novel, and useful way as components for (IGUs) to include versatile applications such as seen in FIG. 3-7. The problem with traditional gas filled IGU, having glazing surfaces directly exposed to gas trapped inside an IGU cavity as well as glazing of poorly insulating glass directly exposed to air outside of the IGU cavity enabling unwanted heat transfer, especially in regard to conduction through solid glass, has not been successfully addressed up until the present invention.
New wall constructions are required by certain building codes to be up to R-21 value and ceilings are required to be up to R-48. Double pane windows currently on the market, on average, are only on average R-value of 3. Traditional windows have up to 7 times less R-value than some walls are required by code to have. Traditional windows are up to 15 times less insulating than some ceilings are expected by code to be. R-Value is a measure of thermal resistance used in building and construction. The present invention will be an super-insulating glazing unit that will be highly insulating while adding value though additional insulation value, soundproofing, privacy, design, protection against breakage over traditional windows offered on the international market while offering optional configurations with designated areas having no X-aerogel layers that can be as clearly viewed through as an IGU having clear glazing made of glass.
Of significant importance is that at night or when solar heat is not present, existing window films have an insignificant ability to insulate glazing, especially in regard to conduction unlike the present invention. Unlike brand name aftermarket window films, the present invention is a super insulating IGU having highly versatile films in the form of systems that are highly effective in hot, cooler, and extremely cold seasons, especially t during the wintertime. At night, during a period of darkness during the time from sunset to sunrise, or when solar heat is not present in both warm and cold weather, the present invention has a significant ability to insulate glazing surfaces, especially in regard to heat transferred by conduction.
The current nanotechnology super-insulating IGU invention does not add any significant weight, such as a triple pane glass unit does, which is highly desirable as weight remains a primary concern for window glazing due to costly framing that must be added as weight is added. The problem of not having a light weight super insulating glazing unit, as featured in the present invention, has not been effectively addressed and remains a problem internationally.